


Half Breeds

by distinctProtaganist



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Homestuck - Freeform, M/M, No Sex, Runawaystuck, Steampunk, Victorian era, again notepad, fuck notepad, i have no idea on the time period, its fluffy bird dave, john is in love with a bird baby, probs like, who wouldent be?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-08 02:41:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distinctProtaganist/pseuds/distinctProtaganist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The lowlife scum of society, bottom rungs of the pecking order. The horrific amalgamtions of human and animal, these were commonly referred to as half breeds. Dave was one, a human bird hybrid, he knows he's a freak, but what he doesn't know is that his world will be turned upside down by a blue eyed boy named John Egbert</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

the lowlife scum of society, bottom rungs of the pecking order. the horrific amalgamtions of human and animal, mainly consisted of cats, wolves, rabbits, all created through experimentation, or some other fucked up means. nobody liked to dwell on how they came to be, or even survived this long. normal people stayed away from them, letting them rummage through trash, like rats or vermin, but really thats all they were. they were denied access to shops, stopped from getting jobs or even going in public areas, crude signs on the streets and shop windows "All customers welcome! [aside from any form of half breed.]". most of them were also denied education, that is even the ones with parents werent able to be enroled in any form of schooling. there was very few things they could do, but performer work and slave labour were the best bets for half breeds, but that is if you could even do it. those involved in slavery, were selected for their strength, stamina or whatever else made them somewhat useful. the performer side of things, was less shady admittedly. the point was to put on shows, look pretty and show off, in return for somewhere to stay, and whatever food scraps were edible. they were kept in cages, unable to move most of the time, cleaned up and provided with extravagant costumes for performaces. it was a gimmick really, seeing the feaks perform was somewhat degrading, being used for the entertainment of the rich, but at least they were kept alive.

John Egbert was one of the normal populus, living with his father in a reasonably nice neighborhood, completly unaware of the hybrids, he knew a little about them, but it was mainly stereotyping and rumors; that they were dirty flea bag half breeds, and that they were practically feral animals. He didnt think about it much, continuing on with his life, going to school, watching movies. He had a large collection of books and movies, nothing too fantasical, as there wasnt really a whole lot of information on things separated from the mundane life they lived. blissfully unaware. he was sitting on his bed when his father came home, just having bought tickets for a circus that had come to town, the 15 year old john didnt know what to expect, as he hadnt gone to any of these events before. currentally he was walking to the show with his cousin jade, the big top was set up in the town park, lights all around it, and a rather large crowd of people outside it, slowly filtering into the seats. this particular show, as johns dad had assured him, was no fake. and was famous for an avian hybrid, half bird half man. john assumed it would just be a costume, as he didnt know much on the hybrids, and most made that assumption, as avian hybrids were unheard of, dogs, cats sure, there were loads but a bird? most called it fake, but johns dad knew that the owner of the circus was no liar, so he took his word, and bought tickets. 

"hey jade!"

john said cheerily as he walked up to his cousin, she lived quite far away, and had to take the old steam train to get here. her long brown hair hung down in waves to her shoulders and vibrant green eyes behind her thick framed glasses atop her freckled nose, her tanned skin covered in freckles from the fact she spent a lot of time in the sun, her long dress was a pale cream, and she was wearing a simple overcoat and scarf in a dark green colour. she waved to him, walking over and linking their arms togther. 

"hey john! are you exited for the show? there isnt many half breeds in the city, so im really looking forward to it!"

she said happily, bissfully ignorant of the atrocites towards the half breeds as she dragged him over to the tents. john was wearing a white button up shirt, and a pair of black pants, he didnt usually dress up, but this was one of the rare times he got to see his cousin. he was paler than her, with far less freckles. his chocolate brown hair, somewhat messy and curly, contrasting his bright blue eyes. 

he went inside the circus tent, most of the lights were hanging from the ceiling, the cords going out the back, not obstructing anybodys movement through the tent. it was one of the highest things the duo had been in, the roof of the tent went up higher than they imagined, providing plenty of room for the acts. there was many seats around the performing area, large poles set up at either end of the tent for tightrope walkers, and more equipment for trapease. there was a large post in the center, apparentally keeping the tent up, with a compartment by the top, and a small door decorated with banners and ribbon, large red banners starting from the middle post and streching around to the sides of the tent, lights hanging off them, lighting up the whole tent. john looked up in awe at the area, the fact that something this big was set up was a marvel in itself for him. he and jade took their seats, due to johns dads involvment with the owner of the show, they were able to get some of the best seats, right by the front, giving the two better access to the show, as it was soon to start. 

 

"dave, you need to stop doing this. it would be more beneficial if you just kept your head down and stopped sassing them" 

rose sighed, she had been given up by her mother, as her father had been a half breed, and her mother wasnt going to deal with the social consequences of her actions, bearing offspring with an abomination. so, she was given to the circus, she had accepted it, and she had been here all her life. she was a cat half breed, her large ears poking up from her blonde hair, and her soft tail coming out the back of her skin tight costume. decorated with sequins and shiny material, a bell around her neck, and her wrists, the black, violet and gold of the outfits colour scheme contrasting with her pale skin, her dark ringed eyes and long lashes, not to mention her violet eyes, her whiskers twitched as she said that, looking over at the caged boy before her. 

"yeah, you were born into this bullshit. i wasnt, i took it as a damn job so i didnt live on the streets" 

dave huffed, he was an avian hybrid- probably the only one still alive, he had been thrown out on the streets, not expected to live very long; and here he was, his large wings bound to his back, and his hands cuffed together. he looked away, his back covered in bruises and wounds from where hed been beat for bad behavior, rose was currentally patching him up, as the show started in an hour and he had yet to get in costume. he hated most humans, holding resentment towards them for the fact they got some sick enjoyent from watching the freaks perform, probably not even knowing what went on behind the scenes. he winced as rose cleaned up his cuts, before letting him out of the cage to get him ready for the show.


	2. The cat and the bird.

the lights dimmed down, a spotlight going onto the performance area, the crowd was hushed; a welcome change from the loud roar the crowd made while people were still filtering into the tent. john looked up to the middle beam, a figure standing on a platform, they looked relatively normal so maybe this had been a waste of money, a scam from the owners of the show. he was giving up hope on this being real; just as a large pair of very real, feathery black wings made themselves visible from the persons back. they leapt from the platform, going into a dive. they were wearing a large mask resembling a bird skull, loads of red plumage coming from the back of the mask, going down their back, their visage somewhat terrifying, arms and legs stained charcoal black, their legs from the knee was that of a crow, and their hands and arms scaly and like that of a crows foot, sharp and taloned. the figure, now assumed to be a male, had swirling patterns painted all over his body in black and red, golden jewellery all over his neck and arms. his feathery black wings had the same red makeup on the wingtips, he was wearing a pair of pants that went to his knees, tied off with a red ribbon, and the pants being held up with the same kind of ribbon, serving as a belt, just under his tail feathers. he was shirtless, as restricting movement was impractical. john watched in awe as the boy pulled up from the dive, earning gasps from the crowd.

john was somewhat confused, but he pushed it aside, instead watching the show; a girl, wearing a masquerade style mask, black with purple markings. her outfit was skin-tight, showing off her lithe figure; it was purple gold and black, a contrast to the bird mans red attire. her cream coloured tail and ears perked up, as she was waiting for her cue, her violet eyes watching the crowd warily as she proceeded; she nodded to the bird boy as he pulled up from his dive, and in turn he went back on the platform as planned.

with a sultry smirk, the feline woman walked across the tightrope, her catlike feet gripping it with her claws, her tail out for balance; she kept her steps light as she walked to the middle, full of confidence as shed done this a hundred times. she stood on the middle of the cable, before making it look like shed lost her balance, falling forward- gasps escaping from the crowd, jade covering her mouth, only for her claws to catch the cable and for her to be suspended upside down, the bells on her costume ringing out as she 'fell'. the bird man watched, unpassed and then took flight once more, into the air, his wings flapping heavily and swiftly, easily keeping him up. john watched in awe, completely entranced; his blue eyes wide- was this really one of the feral creatures he'd been told about? not to mention this was the first time he'd seen one. the way this boy moved, the swiftness and grace, wasn't of a feral animal it was of something far more... more ethereal, it was enthralling; keeping his eyes on him, but he didn't expect a pair of eyes to connect with his, a bright red, full of hatred, it cut him to the core; why would he feel such resentment towards anything? towards people he didn't even know? his eyes connected to the bird boys for a single moment before the red eyed male looked away towards the cat girl, john looked at her, just hanging there with this smug expression on her face.

the bird man swooped over to her, her arms dangling out, her claws retracted and her fuzzy hands waiting to take his, and indeed they did; he swooped down, snatching her up by her hands like she was smaller prey, his wings outstretched as he flew her up high, putting her on the trap ease platform. she put her hands on her hips, and the bird boy grabbed a large amount of knives, handing some to her before they juggled them back and forth, not missing a single one. this is where they abandoned the show, going by their own plans- although the crowd didn't know this, thinking it was all part of the show. the bird boy, flew up to the top of the tent, grabbing the fabric with his talons and ripping a large hole open, before sliding down by his claws, making it bigger as cold outside air flowed inside. the girl held tight onto a knife, as it was more useful than her claws; she ran off the platform, leaping off- high into the air, falling into a dive as she clutched the knife tight, just before she fell, the boy swooped down- faster than anybody had ever seen, snatching her up; just before flying up into the air and throwing off his mask, tossing it into the crowd. he had this grin on his face, his short platinum blonde hair similar to her normal blonde, his red eyes glaring down at them, just before twirling upwards- out of the rip in the tent he'd made, bringing the cat lady with him, disappearing into the night. 

john was surprised when the boy had pulled off his mask, throwing it into the crowd; now realising it wasn't part of the show when it landed in front of him, the skull like mask with its red plumage, it had a note taped on the inside of it, john didn't think to read it, so he just took the note, stuffing it in his pocket. jade looked over to him "oh my god john! do you think its over? that was amazing! they should be coming back inside, or some kind of magic trick right? how can they train half breeds like that, doing tricks and stuff!" she said happily, very exited, as she held his arm and grinning happily. johns eyes were wide, shocked and confused. was everything he'd known about them a lie? he didn't know, but when security began going outside, looking for the escaped performers, he knew what he had to do. he stood up, biting his lip "y-yeah i guess, uh hey jade? ill be back in a second okay?" he ignored her questioning as he ran out of the tent, unfolding the note and running into the darkness, looking for the bird and the cat people. 

he opened the note, a messy scrawl on the paper. the writer had no intention to have thrown this, but he had forgotten he'd put it there, not realising it would spell his downfall if somebody with bad intentions got their hands on it, it simply read 'dersian bay 345289' john was puzzled, he knew about the bay it wasn't as used as its prospitan counterpart, but occasionally ships with supplies from other countries would come through, and if john was going to look for the duo, that would be the best place to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed, just leave any criticism or story ideas in the comments


	3. Runaways

Dave sighed, pulling on a large black cloak, he had set it aside for this occasion so he could hide his large wings. he thought he had put the spare note in the pocket, but he would soon find that said note wasn't where he intended but for now, he was slipping into the cloak, his wings neatly folded, Rose was in her own cloak, hiding her more animal parts. 

They then made their way to the desolate section of the harbour, more aptly named Dersite bay. It had large rocks, like jagged spikes on the barely lit skyline, rain pelting down in the purple sunset, like sheets of rushing water. As the sun was setting, would two figures wearing cloaks look suspicious? Probably, another probability was that a search party was coming to put them down, like the feral animals they were assumed to be. They had expected that, and planned for weeks to work out what to do. They made their way to an old smugglers cave, it was used to hide illegal supplies or people, but that was a long time ago so nobody thought anything of the cave. It was rather spacey, a small amount of water on the rocky floor, the sounds of the ocean waves crashing around the rocky mouth of the cave, thankfully covered with a canvas tarp, preventing the strong waves and harsh winds from getting inside. There was a few items of dusty furniture set up inside, and large blankets for them both to sleep on. 

They walked up the forsaken path, sharp stones and twigs scraping their feet, Dave being more resistant to it, whereas Rose's sensitive pads were having more trouble. They pushed the canvas aside, entering the cold cave, thankful for the cover from the cold winds. Dave pulled off his cloak, and set it on the blanket pile, he sat down and began washing the makeup from his skin and feathers, the running paint causing red and black streaks on his skin, he washed off his feathers, red dripping from them like drops of blood. Rose removed her own mask, washing away the crude makeup, purple and black flicks, it was a rather intricate design but she hated it. She washed the small amount of fur on the side of her face, generally hating the water but it had its uses she supposed. Dave was working on removing the golden jewellery from his arms and neck, dropping it on the cold floor, the valuable metal falling to the floor with a metallic sound. 

Rose sat down on some of the dusty furniture, it had been quite a while since she had what Dave would call freedom. Even in the circus they were treated like animals, beaten, spat at, denied access to the things that other people got. she had been born with more privilege than Dave, even though her mother had given her up for being an abomination; her mother was an aristocrat, the wife of a high ranking politician, not to mention shed had an affair with a "filthy half breed", let alone bearing a child with the man? Rose didn't care for her mother, she bore a striking resemblance to her; vibrant eyes, pale skin, blonde hair. She knew her mother was doing well but she did not want to feel any fondness towards the woman; the witch as she would call her. She sighed, her tail low to the ground, the fluffy cream coloured fur wet from the pelting rain outside, soaking her to the bone, her hair and fur damp and waterlogged.

"Are you finished there David? We need to get dressed properly, there's some leather gloves in the pile if you wish to wear those".

she smiled, trying to reassure him. they had been together ever since they were young, she saw him as a brother even though they weren't related by blood.

Dave glanced up when rose spoke, nodding and pulling out the gloves from the pile, slipping them on over his talons, and up his arm, covering the ashen colouration of his skin. He hated being like this, a freak, an abomination. He hated how he was treated for something he couldn't do anything about. the talons on his feet clicking on the stone floor, there was still a small amount of makeup still left on his wings but he was in no mood to wipe it off. He walked over to the pile, sitting on it, his tail feathers wet and covered in water droplets. He pulled his wings close, feeling pretty damn terrible, confused and conflicted; the boy he had seen in the front row, looking up at him like he meant something, like he wasn't a genetic freak. the awe he saw in his eyes, the sheer entrancement- it confused and angered him, he was used to being treated like scum for all his life why would that boy think any different of him, he didn't understand it. He hated humans, they hated him. It was the natural order, he couldn't change it. He sighed, rubbing his eyes and ruffling his feathers, he had given that boy this look of pure hatred, he didn't know how to feel, he hated them all. But he felt bad about the look of confusion that crossed that boys face, did he not know anything? He growled, his brows furrowed. He knew Rose would know of how frustrated he was, just as he knew her worries and when she was upset. 

Roses ears flicked up when she heard something from outside, what sounded like footsteps in the pelting rain. 

"Dave, we need to go."

she said, her tone serious and scared, she gulped and continued listening 

"Wait what? Is somebody coming?"

Dave said, confused and agitated, Rose gripped her knife, standing up, her ears pulled back. They put the escape plan in motion, Dave getting up, getting dressed in clothes that hid his wings and claws, shoving the jewellery in the pockets of his cloak, bandaging up his feet. Rose did the same, pulling on boots and her cloak, pulling up the hood. She hissed, raising her knife when somebody outside moved the tarp. She didn't recognise the blue eyed boy before her, his hair soaking wet and pushed out of his face, his glasses slipped down his nose, his eyes full of shock, fear and relief. She hissed, backing away. The boy huffed, running a hand through his hair before saying

"Uh... hey.. I'm John, uh... gosh i should have thought what to say haha, well. There's a search party looking for you, I-i didn't lead them here, but they're going to look around here soon, and uh... you left the note in the mask."

he huffed, regaining his composure, before saying 

"I know somewhere you can hide. they wont look there i promise!"

**Author's Note:**

> Heh sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes! I don't have spell check or anything!
> 
> also, I'm unsure if I want to post the next chapter, but if anybody is wanting to continue reading my sad lovechild of a fic, then just let me know ^u^


End file.
